I don’t get the Christmas-themed TV episode. I never did. Steve McGarrett of Hawaii Five-O (again, I date myself, but this is what I watched), was a badass every week. Never cracked a smile - was tough on his colleagues, himself and especially the bad guys. But when mid-December rolled around, and I was ready to get nine days off from school, McGarrett soften up. Maybe crack a smile, pat Danno on the back or try one of Kam Fong as Chin Ho’s delicious Christmas cookies. Same would happen for Kojak, Baretta and other hard-boiled shows. And on the sitcoms, it was Christmas sweaters, egg nog around the Christmas tree; even Esmeralda would smile at Darren and Archie would give Meathead a hug.

Even as a young teenager, I saw through this bullshit. First of all, these shows were probably shot in mid-September. Secondly, no one is buying that all good things happen at Christmastime. Sadly, a lot of bad things happen around the holidays. It is a true and tragic fact. Look it up. So that’s why my theory, and I just came up with this theory as I was writing the previous sentence, is that Christmas-themed Horror movies work as well as they do, because Christmas has negative swirling all around it. Now, no one wants to mention that. We all want to chug egg nog from the carton when no one is looking and eat the googly-eyes off the Christmas cookies - we all do, don’t we? The point is, Christmas is stressful. From shopping, to family visits, to prepping the house for guests - we can’t wait for the grim calmness of January 3rd.

Christmas horror flicks, and many of them suck -let’s face it, but some are damned good - tap into that stress. When the bully (played by John Bishop - a friend) gets his head lopped off sliding down a hill in a stolen sled in Silent Night, Deadly Night 4, we nod in acknowledgement. Christmas is the time for giving, rejoicing, etc. But it’s also the time to gird the loins, brace for the onslaught, and survive the fallout. That kid that gets his head lopped off has avoided all of that. Well played, Santa. Well played. Merry Christmas Everyone!!! - Mark

I look forward to every David Fincher film that comes out. They’re just exceedingly well-crafted. We all know he cut his teeth on some high-end music videos, but he is so NOT a video music-type of director. Instead of fast edits, swooping crane shots and steadicam aplenty, his directing style is much more deliberate, with incredible attention to detail. The episodes of Mindhunter (Netflix-fucking great awesome show) that he directs are just of a better quality. He has that eye.

I have to go back and watch Alien 3 again, because I was not a fan of that film when it came out. I was such a geek over the first two - which, of course, are two very different types of films made by two superb directors - that the third one just left me cold. But I’m thinking I whiffed on that one. Because from Se7en on, I’ve enjoyed all his films. Some better than others, but they are all an extremely worthy watch. Se7en is a film, that at twenty-three years old, has aged really well. It doesn’t feel dated in the least. Maybe because it is set in this rainy, 1940’s-ish film-noir New York City (although I don’t know where a desert is outside of NYC - Binghamton maybe?), or maybe it’s Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt, who seem somehow ageless. The film is still powerful, intense, riveting, which tremendous scenes of shock and awe. And the music - Howard Shore has not done better, imho. It’s a film, although not a pleasant view, is always one I’ll keep on. Zodiac is also tops for me. There’s just cool stuff in it - long tracking shots, great performances by a great cast, and a real creepy ending that had me wondering.

Nowadays, people are less interested in seeing the latest work from a director. They’re interested in the latest IP, or latest Marvel or DC installment, regardless of who directs them. I miss the days when I would patiently wait for the latest film by Brian DePalma or Sam Raimi, etc. Edgar Wright, Alfonso Cuaron and David Fincher are three directors (there are more, of course), that I eagerly wait for their latest releases. Cuaron’s Roma just came on Netflix (amazing right?) - nominated for some Golden Globes. That’s next on the list. Mindhunter has a season two coming. Can’t wait.

One of our original Cinemondo Podcasts talked about a few of Mike Flanagan’s earlier films: his very first, the low-budget Absentia and Gerald’s Game, based on the Stephen King novel. He’s directed a lot since then, and all of them are available to stream. If you are a fan of good filmmaking - then watch them. Yes, they mostly work in the horror genre, but there is so much more going on than that. We’ve championed him in the past, and we’ll continue to do so until he produces a clunker. At that point, we’ll turn on him and rake him over the coals. Until then, bravo! (I don’t think he’ll make a clunker, so I write that with great confidence we won’t ever do that.)

Netflix obviously liked what he did with Gerald’s Game, so when he proposed doing a ten part series based loosely on Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel, The Haunting of Hill House, he was given full creative control. And it really shows. The series is much more than an updating of the classic novel; it is a total rehab. Not that the novel needed that, but for today’s audiences, Flanagan brings a modern sensibility to the way a large family interacts. This is the story of the Crain family, mom, dad and five kids. What happened to them in 1992 when they purchased the creepy old Hill House and tried to flip it, and what happens to them in present day. I won’t tell more than that. But it really is part-horror house-things go bump in the night, and part “This is Us". That’s an alluring combination for today’s binge-watching audience, and boy is it easy to crank through this one.

Scary, very sad, touching with easter eggs aplenty, there is a lot to take in. I’m actually going to rewatch the series, because I know I missed a lot. That can be the problem with binge-watching - you just want to get on to the next episode without really savoring the bits. When we had to wait each week to watch Breaking Bad or GOT or whatever, talking about those episodes and mulling them over was half the fun. With ten episodes plopped down in front of you, that is gone. But this series is so good, that you’ll want to savor it. So take it slow - look in the corners of the screen. Stay focused (and frosty, if you’d like), and enjoy it. Mike Flanagan has done it again. I’m hearing Netflix wants a season two, but he’s not going for it. Here’s hoping he finds another project and gives it the same attention to deal, thoughtful direction and great writing (with a superb cast) that he did to this. And please, Mr. Flanagan, keep using the same actors you’ve used many times in the past: Carla Gugino, Henry Thomas, Elizabeth Reaser, Kate Siegel - wow, all of them just first rate.

Bounty paper towels - “the quicker picker upper” had an ad campaign from the 1970s to 1990 that featured Nancy Walker (played Rhoda’s mom on Rhoda) as Rosie, a New Jersey diner waitress that kept cleaning up after dopey truck drivers and salesman after they spilled their cup o’ joe. She was also a regular on McMillan and Wife for years. Also an accomplished stage and screen director and producer. In 1980, she directed Can’t Stop the Music, a musical that featured Steve Guttenberg, Valerie Perrine and The Village People. Why there isn’t a podcast dedicated to that movie only is beyond me. I’ll try to convince Kathy and Burk to do a one-off, but I’m doubting that will fly. Anyway, that movie was filmed in super garish color and is devastating to the eyes. Actually painful to watch.

So, after watching that for the tenth time in a row awhile back, it was a thrill to watch a couple of B & W flicks for Cinemondo. The two we watched are films I hadn’t seen before. Well, I saw Diabolique a long time ago, but was excited to rewatch it. In short, it is a true cinema classic. A film that must be seen by anyone who is remotely interested in seeing how you make a real propulsive thriller. It’s Hitchcock that Alfred couldn’t have improved upon. It’s that good. Great performances, a great climax and one of my favorite final shots. Please watch - don’t let the fact that it was made in 1955 freak you out. It’s really good - and the subtitles keep you more involved. It’s true with this one.

Whatever Happened to Baby Jane is a showcase for two classic Hollywood beauties who were past their prime when this was made in 1962. And that only adds to the weirdness of it. The film is very much of it’s time but, again, don’t let that dissuade you from watching it. The performances are creepy, the setting is creepy, the ending is creepy. It’s creepy, ooky. It’s weird. Oh, it’s creepy too.

I heard once that my former employers at TBS wanted to colorize WHTBJ. Oh man, that would have been an injustice. Or maybe not - put that on the back end of a double-feature with Can’t Stop the Music. Hmmm.

I’m a social guy. I love the pop in. Doing nothing at home; the doorbell rings and a friend stops in. We grab a La Croix Passionfruit (I stopped being a “MAN” in 2008) and head to the back patio for heady discussion and a snack somehow called “Peatos”. These are Cheetos made from peas. Good Lord. Anyway, that’s fun. Even if it’s much more than a one on one, I’m still into it. The surprise makes it. But when the dinner party invitation comes for two weeks from Saturday, a certain dread sets in for me. I’ll know some of the people; but I’ll probably not know most of them. Again, I’m a social guy - and in most cases, I’ll get by. But not without the odd silences, the conversation missteps (“Crap, wasn’t that last Sandler movie awful?” “I was the DP.” “Oh”), and weird moments when I dig into a post-meal antacid and one oddball asks me how can I ingest that when it’s made with ox-bile. That really happened.

Anyway, the dinner party is a trepidation already. If you factor in a multi-universe time warp or a cult video, then the evening has officially gone off the rails. The two dinner party themed thrillers we talk about on this thrilling episode of Cinemondo are The Invitation and Coherence. I won’t talk about these movies at all, except they have to do with an evening of wine, food, friends (and acquaintances), conversation, and horror. Well, maybe not the plunge-the-bread-knife-into-the -temple horror, but stuff that is actually a bit scarier. Both are well thought out - really smart. And they are filled with characters that do smart things. If they’re thinking ahead of me, no big feat but still wildly rare, then I’m digging the movie.

The Invitation has a bigger budget, and plays a bit stronger. Coherence is super low budget, shot in a few days, with a lot of improv. It only starts to show its seems towards the end, but it is still gripping stuff. I liked The Invitation more only because it can happen, and maybe already has. Have you been to the Hollywood Hills lately? Both available for streaming and way more thought-provoking than the latest Netflix Sandler flick. Or so I have heard. thanks for reading folks! - Mark

So I wrote and executive produced a short film called Breathe this past spring. It is now making the festival rounds. It’s gotten into two and has been rejected by 12,274. In other words, I’m getting to know a lot about what it goes into making a film of any length, and it is not an easy task. But going from “page to stage” is an immensely gratifying process. I hope to do it again. In fact, I’m going to try and write a feature-length version of it in the next few months. More to come - stay tuned! Can you tell that I’m very uncomfortable writing about myself?? Not my favorite thing - tooting my own horn is something that I hate - but it’s all part of the game. Anyway, on to a film that I didn’t make - one that is really good.

Calibre is a Scottish import that has been streaming on Netflix for a few months. Really interesting to me how all these films pop up on Netflix - we’ve never really heard of them - they get top billing on the home page for a day or two, and then another comes along and that other film gets kinda lost. I’m wondering how many other really good films are out there that I just passed on or flat out missed by not visiting the Netflix page on the right day. Anyway, I love the riches of new films that Netflix plays. Too much to watch is a great thing. But I fear some really good movies don’t get eyes on them because there is a lot to choose from. Regardless, Calibre is a thriller that anyone who likes fast-paced, fish out of water films must check out. Think Scottish Highlands Deliverance. Two city guys go hunting before one of them gets hitched. Truth be told, only one of them wants to go hunting, the other just wants to have a few drinks and contemplate his life change. Anyway, they find a quaint, quiet country village, have a few pints at a local bar, get up the next morning - a touch hungover, and go hunting. And then the fun starts.

Well-acted and extremely well directed, this one is worth searching out. Oh, and Breathe is also well worth finding - a new trailer coming to your internets very soon. Thanks y’all. - Mark

I have a lot of relatives and cousins that grew up in some tough parts of New York City - the Bronx, Washington Heights, Red Hook Brooklyn. Our family would drive down from bucolic Connecticut in our lime green Dodge Monaco - three in the front, three in the back. Not a seat belt buckled for miles. As soon as we got on the Cross Bronx Expressway, I would notice the change - a lot less greenery, a lot more burned out, cinder blocked cars in the burm. You know - this is not how it is now, but back in the mid-70s, New York retained all that grit. The grit you see in Dog Day Afternoon, Midnight Cowboy, etc. - I saw it upclose and personal. And my cousins - wow, they were intimidating. Their father was a beat cop in Harlem, and they lived on the cusp in Washington Heights, the northern part of Manhattan. It was intense, but also very very cool. I kept close to my mom (and I was almost 15). Okay, not really, but I was really working on keeping my “no fight” streak alive. Of course, nothing ever happened and I had a great time with my family. But the feeling I get from watching movies that were filmed in the 70s in NYC, is the same feeling I had when I visited the city back then.

Two movies we discuss this week deal with gangs in NYC; but they really couldn’t be more different. The Warriors (1979, Walter Hill) is a fantasy of gang life in the Big Apple. It was a big deal back when it came out - there were supposed fights in the theaters, etc. But watching it now, it is downright laughable, but in a very good way. You can’t take it seriously - it’s a freakin’ comic book. The gangs are goofy and the movie doesn’t make a lick of sense. But it moves fast and is undeniably entertaining. I watched it for the first time for the podcast, and it was not at all what I had expected it to be. I really thought it was going to be intense and cool. It’s not, but it is fun.

The Wanderers (Philip Kaufman), came out in the same summer, and barely got a release. I think it opened in a few theaters and some drive-ins before it went to HBO. That’s when I watched it. And I was really blown away by it. Set in the early 1960s in Kaufman’s neighborhood, it’s another romanticized version of the street gangs of that time. But there is real emotional depth here with the characters, some abrupt tone changes that enhance the film and give it the cult status it so richly deserves and has gotten, and great acting. It launched Ken Wahl’s career as well as a pre-Indiana Jones Karen Allen. Special mention to John Friedrich who, as Joey, is really a heartbreaking character. It’s a performance that you might see in a Sidney Lumet film from that time period. This is an almost great film that has been overlooked forever. I believe there is a film festival out there that shows The Wanderers every year, so it has it’s fans. Count me one of them. My cousins would be proud.

I think there are about a dozen “masters of horror”. We’ll all agree or disagree on who those twelve people are, but two that are definitely in there are Stephen King and David Cronenberg. Personally, I’m more a fan of King than Cronenberg. His stuff is cool, but maybe a bit too antiseptic or sterile to me. Make sense?? Maybe not - just my take.

But his direction in The Dead Zone, a 1983 film based on the best-seller (aren’t all his books best-sellers?) by King has more heart in it than his other films; save maybe The Fly. I think a lot of that has to do with the stunningly good performance by Christopher Walken. Before he became a caricature of himself, he could really temper his wilder acting tendencies and deliver the goods. Here, he does just that. You really feel for the guy. He’s going through hell while he tries to help himself and help others. And watching Martin Sheen chew up the scenery (that’s a good thing, fyi) by playing a ego-maniacal Presidential candidate, is jaw-dropping fun. It’s almost like he could see exactly thirty-four years into the future and see how our President (ugh) today acts. Makes for an extra chill! Add in the great Brooke Adams and other Canadian character actors, and you have a very realistic, supernatural thriller.

As for Dead Ringers, we recommend that because it’s Cronenberg and Irons. Never do you, as a viewer, get confused about which twin is which. And without the special effects that can be used today, Cronenberg pulls off the one actor playing two character bit perfectly. William Asher couldn’t have done it better in Bewitched! Seriously, he couldn’t. Anyway, this movie has all the trademark Cronenberg body weirdness stuff and some really super uncomfortable moments. Good God, don’t see this flick if you’re going to your Gyno appointment. Avoid at all costs! As good as Jeremy Irons is, Genevieve Bujold is tremendous. Her character kind of gets lost in Act III, which is a shame, but no matter. She adds something special to the film. Or maybe I’ve just been a fan of hers forever. Not sure. Anyway, these are classic 1980s flicks that hold up very well. You might have forgotten about them; never seen them, or never heard of them. Do check them out - you’ll love the ride. -Mark

How many times have you been tantalized by ultra-glowing reviews for the newest Horror classic, only to be gravely disappointed? For me, it’s a regular happenstance. If I look at the myriad of top 50 horror films streaming online, a good chunk will be modern films - made in the last ten years or so. And a lot of them are good solid, horror thrillers. Movies I’m thrilled to watch online for a low price. I can’t believe that I can sit down in front of my TV with the kids (all under eight years of age), and watch Jigsaw or Would You Rather? or Terrifier. It’s such a wholesome family night at the movies. Thank you Netflix, et al. But none of them, even the much-heralded The Babadook, or It Follows or The Conjuring (insert middle finger into back of throat - NOT SCARY!), can hold a candle to the dread and devastation that happens to the Graham family in Ari Aster’s first feature (unbelievable) Hereditary.

This film demands repeat viewings. People I’ve talked to who have seen it, either agree with me 100% or thought it was “bad”. I tell those people to lean out the window of their car to get some fresh air. They’re delusional! The brilliance of this film is in the small details that are peppered throughout the movie, the superb cast - all performances are truly brilliant, and Aster’s slow but building pace that takes the film to new levels of intensity.

The horror does not come from pop-up shocks (see Halloween 2018), but from familial relationships that go from sour, to tense, to something far, far worse. And it all makes sense. The characters do what they do because that is what anyone would do with faced with the horrors the Grahams face. To tell more would be criminal. I’ve seen it four times now and I still see new things that make me go “Oh, that’s fucking cool!” That’s a legitimate modern horror classic. Take that “The Witch”!

Any Simpsons’ fan will know of “Focusin”, the mind-sharpening drug that Bart Simpson took during a pharma trial. He immediately blew past Lisa and became the smartest kid, probably ever. Once we stopped, things got back to normal and he went back to being lovable, slightly-dumb Bart. Well, get me some Focusin, because I just watched Primer and Predestination back to back and I need a nap. Don’t get me wrong, these are really, really good films. They’re super smart, entertaining (in their own way), and well-made. Primer, for God’s sake, was purportedly made for $7,000! If that’s true, I’m doubly-blown. Predestination had a bigger budget and bigger stars, but it is no less twisty and time-altering.

Kathy, Burk and I try to explain these movies. Burk sent an email that made perfect sense. He’s seen it a few more times than I (not that repeated viewings would help me - they wouldn’t), but his expanation made sense. Just trying to explain that on the podcast, well, let’s just say, I didn’t bring my Focusin. Burk tried is darnedest - while Kathy and I looked like my mom does when I try to explain how to switch from broadcast TV to streaming. Again, we tried - but it is a bit comical. I felt that my next three movies would have to be Winnie the Pooh, The Nut Job 2 and Christmas with the Cranks. I think I can follow those.

Don’t be scared off. You are probably much smarter than I. So check them out. Mind-bending - oh, and Amazon has Focusin for 30% off through the end of the month. -Mark

Darren Aronofsky doesn’t make Vanilla movies. We all know that. He’s a superb filmmaker, and a challenging one. Some people like the challenge; some people don’t. If you’re into seeing an Amy Schumer flick, by all means, enjoy. But if you’re looking for something completely different, you should seek out his films. All of them are an interesting watch. I really liked Noah a lot - I think I’m in the deep minority on that one. Black Swan, Pi, that drug movie — all of them are pretty darn interesting. But nothing will really prepare you for Mother!

I’m not going to spoil the viewing experience for you. Once you see it, listen to the podcast. We do a very deep dive on this one, because the film deserves it. I know you’ve heard the vitriol spewed at this film (and Aronofsky even “apologized” for it, which was a mistake imho). It’s there for one very specific scene in the movie. It’s a scene you will see, and you will feel something. No doubt. But, hopefully, by the time that scene plays, you’ll have figured out the playing field that this film hangs in. You’re watching something very different - and if you’re a fan of cinema, you’ll appreciate it. You might not like some of what you see; but a challenging, top-flight filmmaker has carte blanche to freak you out. I want that. I demand it. He delivered it. Again, you might not like it - but take the medicine, discuss afterwards and think about it some more.

The film is a modern classic. One film that I will come back to every now and then and watch. Not for everybody. But for me, it was an experience. A masterpiece.

There are some really brilliant young filmmakers out there making cool, mind-bending movies. Whether it be Primer, which is a true headspinner, or The Love Witch - just so smart in ways that you won’t see coming - there are very smart people making very smart indie films. They skirt around any budget constraints and make compelling stories come to life.

In 2012, Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, made Resolution. Five years later, they made The Endless. The movies have a connection - and if you’re planning on watching these — AND YOU SHOULD!! — please watch Resolution first. You’ll be glad you did.

In no way am I going to tell you anything about these movies - no plot synopsis, no spoilers - or even spoiler light. Just please trust me - if you like challenging and entertaining movies done on a low budget, you really can’t do better than these two films. They are definitely connected, but they are two very different films going for two very different feels. Both are, at first, somewhat head-scratching. But if you, like the Cinemondo-ites, salivate over discussing and dissecting movies, these two will give you hours of post-streaming debate. If a filmmaker can give me that, I genuflect in their direction. Benson and Moorhead, who star in The Endless, are the brains behind these films. I eagerly await what comes next from their super creative minds.

I really want to tell you about these films. Ok, so I will. What happens is that….. Eh, I can’t. Just watch and let us know what you think! -this 104 IQ-brain needs some time to bounce back from these warped, but brilliant films. -Mark

CInemondo Podcast Mystery Date episodes are loads of fun for me because I get to push a film I personally like to Kathy and Burk. And they get to do the same to us. We all know the unbridled joy of recommending a movie to friends and then sitting down in front of the TV and hitting the Play button. The anticipation is palpable. Then the movie starts - and the part you thought was SO funny suddenly isn’t as funny as it was earlier. The scene that got your heart racing now is causing your friend’s to yawn. Oh crap. That’s why I don’t do that anymore. Oh, I’ll recommend a movie to anyone, but I won’t then go sit down and watch that movie with them. Way too stressful.

But talking about a mystery date movie on the podcast is loads of fun because I get to expose Kathy and Burk, two of the most knowledgable film people I know, to a movie they might not know about. My latest offering is 1977’s The White Buffalo, starring Charles Bronson, Clint Walker, Jack Warden, Will Sampson, Kim Novak, Slim Pickens, Stuart Whitman and John Carradine. Some cast, right? Anyway, it also stars one of the goofiest, yet oddly compelling, “monsters” ever. Of course, it’s not a monster. It’s just an albino buffalo. But, trust me, it’s something you have to see. This is a true cult film, because unlike Forbidden Zone and Donnie Darko, two films that were made as cult films, everyone involved with this production was not setting out to make a cult movie. It just turned out that way. J. Lee Thompson, who directed the original Cape Fear and The Guns of Navarone, then went on to direct tons of B-movie stuff, was shooting a western. Dino de Laurentiis, the producer, was trying to capitalize on Jaws by producing “monsters on a rampage” films (King Kong, Orca). This was his third, and it was an abysmal failure at the box office. It was laughed out of the theaters. But I suggest you give it a view. The dialogue is crazy "frontier slang pulp” stuff - really fun to listen to. The acting is way better than it should be — and the climactic confrontation with the white buffalo is dreamlike — very David Lynch. And, of course, it wasn’t meant to be like that - I mean, you can see the track the mechanical buffalo is on in the snow. Plain as day. Come on, that’s awesome. What mystery date wouldn’t be happy with that?? Oh, and I still have to see Kathy and Burk’s picks - I will, but I’ll watch them alone - just in case I yawn during one of the “exciting” parts. -Mark

Some movie producer way back when said that movie audiences will really only remember the ending. If the ending is great, they love the movie. If the ending sucks, so does the film. I don’t buy into that at all - we’re a bit smarter than that, aren’t we? But what I do believe is that a great ending - what I consider a great ending anyway, can really save an otherwise not-great movie. We can have that post-movie chat in the theater parking lot: “That movie blew, but the ending was pretty cool!” In reality, I’m the guy going “Oh, he was the killer? I didn’t catch that.”

Regardless, endings - and I’m not talking the climax of the film, but the last shot/scene of a movie can really get me all giddy. Two of my personal favorites are pretty classic ones. Stanley Kubrick’s The Killing, is a great film-noir from 1956. It’s a heist film told in a novel way. But the ending, where Sterling Hayden’s character (and his moll) watch their million dollars in cash go swirling into the air in front of a prop planes engines, is the “most”. Since they can’t get on their flight, they try to catch a cab outside the airport. Who knows - this might have been filmed at the Hollywood Burbank Airport (my personal favorite airport - you still walk on the tarmac to get on the plane!). Anyway, as they are hailing a taxi, we have a shot of the glass front doors of the airport terminal. Behind the glass, we see two G-Men being told what had happened on the tarmac. These two guys - burly, older, wearing fedoras, look towards our anti-heroes. They slowly walk towards the doors (and the camera), one at either door. At the same time, they draw their guns, point and open the doors. “THE END” comes up between them. Fade to black. Holy Shit, is that great. Simply shot, but so effective. The jig is so up for them.

The second is so classic - The Godfather. All I’ll say is that one shot of one of my Michael Corleone’s henchmen closing the door on Diane Keaton’s character as Pacino looks at her, tells you all you need to know about the future of their marraige, and more importantly, the future of her life. It ain’t going to be great. An American classic has THE classic ending. Goddamn, that movie is so freaking good.

I know there are other, more obscure film endings to pick - but I went down Fifth Avenue with these. Burk and Kathy came up with some great ones too - but mine are the best….. ;-)

John Carpenter’s Halloween started it all in 1978. Seeing it opening night in the theater, I knew right then and there, that I was veering away from The Apple Dumpling Gang films to something a tad darker. Theater actors like to take the temperature of the room during a performance or a showing. In this case, the mercury would have exploded out of the thermometer like they used to do in old Warner Brothers cartoons. Theater 4 at the East Hartford Showcase Cinema was blazing. It was the most fun I have ever had at the movies—-ever!

Soon after that, our family got HBO. Suddenly, I could stay up late and watch every good, bad or indifferent slasher pic that came in Halloween’s wake. I remember He Knows You’re Alone with a high Tom Hanks was an early one. Prom Night, Terror Train (both Jamie Lee Curtis vehicles) and countless others came after. I watched most of them. For some reason, I couldn’t watch Maniac. Something about that film poster just freaked me out too much. Still haven’t seen it! Call me a chicken - guilty as charged!

Our guest on this week’s Cinemondo Podcast is Devon Whitehead, a true artist and ultimate horror fan. He talks about his interest in horror - specifically 80’s horror stuff. It’s a great listen - although I didn’t tell anyone I was afraid of Joe Spinell in Maniac. Let’s keep that between us. Signing off - Mark

Growing up in the 1970s, Burt Reynolds was pretty much the biggest thing going. He was rugged; the ultimate man's man. He was a college football player - then he had his own QM (Quinn Martin) TV series, Dan August, that ran for one season. He'd be running after cars, jumping over people; taking down the bad guys. All to cool Dave Grusin music. But the show was gone and Burt went into the movies. One of his earlier films was certainly one of his best---maybe his very best: Deliverance. A huge hit in 1972, Burt played the super cool, ultra-macho, wilderness-man who thought he knew everything about navigating the white waters of this North Georgia mountain river. Well, he was wrong. It's an interesting portrayal, because of Burt's approach to the film, but also how his character reacts to the disaster that befalls him and his friends. The movie is a classic and holds up very well. It still has the power to shock and awe. His performance is a highlight.

He then went on to star in many action films that played off his super-likable onscreen persona. Smokey and the Bandit was a monster hit, and he made a lot of Hal Needham flicks that cashed in on that one. The subsequent ones weren't great - The Cannonball Run was a smash, but it's barely a movie. It's just him and his buddies (Jim Nabors, Dom Deluise, etc) just hamming it up for the camera. They were goofy movies, and didn't do him justice. The End was a film he directed that was many cuts above most of his other work from the late 70s. It's a forgotten work, but quite well done. In the early 80s, he did a Bill Forsyth (Local Hero) called Breaking In - and that film started showing his more mature side. From there, he backed away from movies, but he triumphantly returned as the porn movie producer in JTW's Boogie Nights. He's great in it - maybe the best performance of anyone in that big, sprawling film.

I recently saw his last film, The Last Movie Star - it's on Amazon Prime. It's a fitting end - a small movie about a Burt Reynolds like movie star, who has been forgotten, but it coaxed into going to a Nashville Film Festival. But it is not THE Nashville Film Festival. It's a festival held at a dive bar. He meets his fans. There is copious amounts of melancholy, but also some self-deprecating humor. And that's what made me like him as a person - he didn't take himself too seriously. There are many YouTube clips of him on the Carson show getting ribbed by Don Rickles and other comics. He just eats it up, and laughs with that odd, high-pitched squeal of his. He knew who he was - a movie star. But he was also a quality actor. An athlete who worked hard to become better at his craft, and that work paid off. Search out his films. Laugh at Smokey and the Bandit - but please see his more serious efforts. Deliverance, The End, Breaking In, Boogie Nights and others. That's where you see the true Burt Reynolds show off his stuff. RIP Mr. Reynolds - you were a big part of my childhood and that won't be forgotten. - Mark

I don't have a lot of rules in life - but these two are ironclad. I love driving through tunnels - it's fun and relatively safe. I have thought, while in bumper to bumper traffic halfway through the Holland Tunnel, that this is how it will end for me. A cascade of grey, chunky-style water falling onto my noggin while listening to the best of Seals and Crofts. But aside from that, driving through a tunnel is a delight. Walking through a tunnel? - Not my table. There are many walking tunnels spread out through LA - I'd rather cross the 5, even at night. Okay, that's not true but those dark tunnels freak me out. And Mike Flanagan's first feature, Absentia, preys on that fear. It's a great ultra-low budget feature that has two fully developed female lead characters who are fighting their own demons. It takes the mundane, and gives it a dash of creep. I've seen this movie twice and I can tell why it put Flanagan on the map.

Flanagan has graduated to bigger films: Hush, Oculus, Before I Wake, among others. Gerald's Game, based on a Stephen King book, is a great character study with Carla Gugino simply great as the lead. Her husband, played by the always good Bruce Greenwood, wants to spice up their love life by handcuffing her to the bedposts. Then things go south quickly. You would think it would be hard to get 100 minutes out of that premise, but King did it. And so does Flanagan. A match made in heaven, these two. I hope it happens again. I have a few Flanagan films to check out - I will do so. He's good - you should too. Okay, thanks for reading. Now, if I can only find that stupid key. - Mark

I saw They Live the day it opened at a suburban Atlanta theater. I was the only one in the theater. I thought - oh oh, Carpenter has lost his audience. He didn't lose me, but I was shocked I was the only person there. Anyway, I loved They Live. This wild concept of wearing RayBans and seeing subliminal messages underneath current media. An idea that resonates to this day. Plus, Roddy Piper was actually likable and good in the lead role. But no one would see it. Luckily, the film found an audience and has become a cult classic. Cinemondo will do a cult episode or two in the future. I have definite ideas what and what does not make a cult film. They Live, I guess, qualifies because it has a message that really sticks with ya. Plus it has a fight scene between Roddy and Keith David that goes on longer than the average Looney Tunes episode. Plus it's John Carpenter - it can not be ignored.

Happy Death Day takes that Groundhog Day, Edge of Tomorrow concept and makes it fun - even though the main character ends up dying in violent ways over and over again. The film works because it doesn't take itself too seriously and Jessica Rothe, who plays "Tree", the snotty sorority girl who becomes a nicer person as she experiences each death, is completely great in the lead role. You buy her the whole way. The movie, imho, could have been a bit gorier and nastier, but then realized it was a PG-13 flick, so it couldn't have gone farther. If they went for an "R" and amped up the gore, I think it would have been even more effective, but that's the business choice they made. Anyway, it's a fun flick either way and we here at Cinemondo believe in FUN! More fun comes your way if you listen to our podcasts. We are fun personified - that goes double for Darwin!! be good y'all - Mark

Kathy has been a shameless fan of horror movies from a very early age. Maybe a bit too early for most kids, she was introduced to Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing in various Hammer films, along with the Italian Westerns and late night TV scares she grew up loving. She claims Barnabas Collins as one of her first crushes. These films and TV shows didn’t give her nightmares or scar her for life; they introduced her to a world of movies that she’s never grown out of. These films that would have sent most youngsters fleeing in tears made Kathy a lifelong fan. She always preferred the vampires to the princesses and has described even the most terrifying films as her “comfort food.” Her appetite for genre films is voracious and she tends to root for the monsters and baddies. Always willing to discuss what makes the good ones good and the bad ones bad or the bad ones good, she co-published a beloved movie magazine back in the punk rock days called Cinemondo, and now the name lives on in her podcast. Favorite Genre: Slasher

Mark grew up near a drive-in; so the first twenty or so movies in his life were on a huge screen, sitting in a Pontiac Catalina and listening through weird metal speakers that hung over the car window, thus causing scratches and irking his dad. When he saw Star Wars in a legitimate theater, his movie-going life changed. Since then, Mark watches as many movies as he can. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of film and television, and an appreciation for the finer examples of pop culture that makes him a valuable resource as the ultimate “recommender.” He is the king of alerting you to films that deserve a look despite not getting the press or the distribution they deserve. We suspect he’s got a secret super power that makes him like a radar for “the good stuff." Mark has been friends with Kathy and Burk for decades and the three of them have always shared their love of movies with each other, and now via the futuristic wonder of podcasting. Favorite Genre: Psychological

Burk has been a sci-fi and comic book nerd since the moment he saw the cover of a Spider-Man comic while still basically a baby. Something about the Steve Ditko artwork depicting a ray-beam firing, green robot that fired up his imagination and opened up doorways into weird, alien worlds. And a late-night viewing of JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS and FIRST MEN IN THE MOON, made him determined to understand how something called “special effects” could create such impossible creatures. And later, after watching films like 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY and THE EXORCIST over and over, he finally figured out that ideas and stories were what made certain movies so timeless and meaningful. And that the magic is often in the details. He and Kathy co-published Cinemondo magazine back in the days before internets and websites, and now the “Digitally Remastered” version of Cinemondo he hopes to connect with folks and discuss all the details. Favorite Genre: Sci-fi

Cinemondo was originally a print magazine back in the dark ages before the internet. It was printed on real paper and distributed in the real word, and generated a devoted core of fans who were interested in unusual and less publicized films. Our approach wasn’t so much scholarly, but an expression of our genuine love of movies. We covered “post credit endings” back before they were standard, and we wrote articles that didn’t just review films, but the local movie theaters, too. We interviewed folks like Clive Barker and Whitley Streiber who sort of freaked us out a little with his stories about alien abductions. We tried our best to be the friend you wanted to sit around with and chat about your favorite movies. The friend who always has the good recommendations and points you in the right direction when you’re digging around for something to watch. The Cinemondo Podcast is a continuation of that idea... three movie fans talking about movies.

Jeff McCarty loves movies. He's one of us. He restores films for a living. He's also a filmmaker. He's also a musician and did I mention he loves movies? Anyway, Jeff is our first Cinemondo Podcast special guest which is a cool honor - time will prove me right. Jeff knows a lot about all facets of moviemaking and is also an historian. He has also just opened, with some business partners, the second film processing lab in Los Angeles. Although most everything is now shot on digital, shooting on film is still a thing. And something shot on film just has a different feel. It's an option that should remain an option. Jeff is helping keep "film"making alive. He's a cool first guest. We'll most certainly have him on again; if he can handle Darwin. (Darwin barks a lot at new people; then he calms down and loves them. But he does bark a lot. A lot.)

He's also the guy that told us to check out The Love Witch (or maybe it was Kathy, she's just as cool as Jeff). Either way, Anne Biller's The Love Witch is something very special. A nod to 60s and 70s technicolor movies, with an intense retro feel. But it also has some interesting things to say about male/female relationships. In that way, it is very modern. The movie is one-of-a-kind and needs to be seen by anyone as cool as Jeff or Kathy. Burk and Mark got to see it because they are "cool adjacent".